RFing in Honda Element??

fleurdelv · Sep 8, 2010

My husband is looking at a used Honda Element and just brought it by the house for me to check out. Well, as I was looking in the back seat it occurred to me that there wouldn't be any way (based on the door configuration) to get a child out of their car seat from a RF position.

I took my Marathon our of my truck and placed it on the back seat to make sure I wasn't crazy... sure enough, there would be NO way to squeeze her out of there. She would have to climb out on her own (not happening yet) or be pulled out from the opposite side of the back seat. First of all, that's a total pain in the backside and secondly, we'll soon have a 2nd child, so his car seat will be preventing climbing around in the backseat from being an option anyway.

Is there something we're missing?? It seems crazy to me that this vehicle would be SO incompatible with having a RF car seat. Is there some configuration that allows you to easily get a child in/out of their RF position?

wendytthomas · Sep 8, 2010

Besides doing the opposite side loading, which a lot of people do (put the child behind the passenger, get in the rear driver's side seat and put the child in, then move up front to your driver's seat), you could also put the kids in through the trunk.

There's also often enough room that you could do it from above. The backseat of an Element is like a living room. It's huge front to back. I can stand in the backseat with rear facing seats.

Wendy

mam1937 · Sep 8, 2010

I had one when my first child was a baby, and no, you are not missing anything. It was a huge pita to get him out of his rearfacing carseat. When he was smaller, I would pull him out over the top of the seat or just keep his car seat on the opposite side of the car so I could just climb in. When #2 came, that car was gone asap. Other than that issue, I loved the car- tons of room in the back, super easy to install car seats, pastic floor....

fleurdelv · Sep 8, 2010

Ok, thank you. What a bummer. :thumbsdown: There is just no way that's going to work for us. (IMO anyway, he may feel differently lol

) My husband carries tons of work gear, so the back will always be stack full, not allowing access to the back seat from that direction. Plus, he's 6'5 and about 280 lbs... so squeezing in/out of the back seat to attempt to stand, hunched over isn't going to work either.

Thanks for the quick replies.

FF1407wife · Sep 8, 2010

I have a RF Roundabout 50 in my Honda Element and I love it. DS can climb in his seat or I can throw him in over the top. (In hindsight, a seat with a lower profile would have been a smarter choice.) I love my Element. Jace can make the biggest mess ever and all I have to do is go behind him with a wipe!

We were in a pretty serious wreck this summer in my first Element when a guy crossed the center line and spun us into a tree and all 3 of us walked away.

What year model are you looking at? Does it have the side curtain airbags? I know the models without them did not score as well in crash tests. I think it would be doable (maybe not easy) to have 2 RF in the back if your seats did not sit high on the base like the Britax, especially using an infant carrier for the first few months. I can also buckle in DS by kneeling in my seat and reaching over to where he is. Any way you can try seats in the car? Those little boxes are magic...once you drive/ride in one you love it!

canadiangie · Sep 8, 2010

You aren't missing anything. You're going to have to load from the opposite side, or hatch load the child while he's rear facing.

JerseyGirl'sMama · Sep 8, 2010

I guess I am in the minority here because I

my DH's Element for carseats. I have no issues loading the child from the top inside the vehicle or with loading from the trunk. It's easy.

How old is your child? Will she still be rear-facing when you have another baby? If she is rear-facing in a MA and you have the baby in a carrier, you can load older child first, then put the baby carrier into the base. That might work for you if she isn't FF by the time baby is out of an infant seat.

Polola0628 · Sep 10, 2010

A word of caution- if you DH has his things stuffed in the backseat next to your child, they could become projectiles in a crash. Just letting you know

Traquy · Sep 11, 2010

Honda Element owner here and yes, RF in an Element is a huge PITA. I have a Marathon and up until DD was switched to front facing at 18m (yes I know that was very young, long story I won't get into here) I pretty much loaded her up from the top of the seat down-the-chute style. It really wasn't that big of a deal since I loved every other aspect of the car. Now that she is 3 yrs old it is the best.car.EVER. Rubber floor mats, sooo easy to clean, no worries about spills on carpet or seats and DD has a very high seated vantage point and loves her view of everything. I also love how much stuff I can fit in that thing. I went to IKEA and was able to bring home a twin bed, mattress, dresser and 2 side tables (in their boxes of course) with DD in the back seat because the other back seat collapses and folds up against the side of the car giving you a huge space for things. Killer for camping too.

Anyway, yes the Element is a PITA for rear facing, but it is so awesome for toddlers on up.

RFing in Honda Element??

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